Common pesticide linked to more than double the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Key takeaways
- A widely used agricultural pesticide may pose a greater threat to brain health than previously recognized.
- The study, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, combined evidence from hundreds of people with laboratory experiments designed to uncover exactly how the pesticide affects the brain.
- Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million Americans.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
A widely used agricultural pesticide may pose a greater threat to brain health than previously recognized. Researchers at UCLA Health report that long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos near the home is associated with a more than 2.5-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, combined evidence from hundreds of people with laboratory experiments designed to uncover exactly how the pesticide affects the brain. The results suggest that chlorpyrifos can damage critical nerve cells involved in movement and may play a direct role in the development of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million Americans. The condition develops when specialized brain cells that produce dopamine gradually die off. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that helps control movement, coordination, and balance.